Loyola faculty members pride themselves on being accessible to the media and part of the public discourse on news of legal significance. Visit Loyola's Summary Judgments faculty blog to read faculty opinions on current legal issues. Highlights of recent media appearances and quotations include:
KCRW-FM – 09.30.19
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS AND DEMOCRATS APPROVE OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, NEW POLLING SHOWS
“I think we have two options here. I think one is, he [William Barr] may not trust that investigation and may have decided we need to go around it. Another option, he actually wants to make it look as if the investigation wasn’t trustworthy,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor and KCRW’s Monday Legal Eagle Jessica Levinson.
NBC News – 09.29.19
TRUMP VS. CALIFORNIA: DEMOCRATS RISK BOTH LEGAL AND POLITICAL DEFEAT IN BATTLE OVER TAX RETURNS
California has likely stretched that role beyond its boundaries, potentially threatening its credibility in the many legitimate fights it is waging against Trump, writes LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson in her latest NBC News Think op-ed.
The Los Angeles Times – 09.29.19
IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO ARREST DEMOCRATIC DONOR ED BUCK DESPITE SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS. WHY?
While that is true, experts said Lacey’s office could have considered an involuntary manslaughter charge under state law. The likely explanation is that the federal charge carries a much stiffer penalty, said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor and former federal prosecutor who reviewed the affidavit filed in support of federal charges.
The Westerly Sun – 09.28.19
CENSUS WANTS TO BLUR DATA IN RESPONSE TO PRIVACY CONCERNS
Census data does not need to be exact for most purposes, "as long as we know it's really pretty close," said Justin Levitt, an election law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. But "there's certainly a point where blurry becomes too blurry."
CBC News – 09.27.19
TRUMP WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT RELEASED
“I understand that President Trump is now in a place where he is trying to basically push the brakes and stop what’s happening. Now, there are ways you can slow the impeachment process. He can fight subpoenas and drag things out in court, but the idea he could sue in court for an improper impeachment proceeding, that is not something we see,” Jessica Levinson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School told CBC News.
Chicago Tribune – 09.27.19
MAN ACCUSED OF MAKING RACIST THREATS TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY
Former Justice Department attorney Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said he doesn't know of any other recent cases in which someone has been charged with the federal crime of interfering with a candidate for elective office. The Justice Department doesn't prosecute internet trolls for spewing hateful messages; the conduct must rise to the level of an actual threat of violence or something similarly serious, Levitt said.
Crosscut – 09.27.19
LEGAL EXPERTS SAY AFFIRMATIVE-ACTION MEASURE WOULDN’T PERMIT USE OF RACIAL QUOTAS
“The point is, you don’t have to meet a goal,” said Kimberly West-Faulcon, a law professor and the James P. Bradley Chair in Constitutional Law at Loyola Law School Los Angeles. ”You can aspire toward it, and it can vary over time. And a goal does not mean you necessarily have to pick someone from the applicant pool.”
Los Angeles Times – 09.27.19
L.A. COUNTY SUPERVISORS MOVE TO FREEZE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT FUNDING
Jessica Levinson, a professor on governance issues at Loyola Law School, said the latest clash reflects the unprecedented battle for power between the supervisors and the sheriff. Levinson said it’s striking that the supervisors are intervening in Villanueva’s budget so directly.
NBC Los Angeles – 09.26.19
THE DEBATE OVER SANCTUARY CITIES RAGE ON
Marissa Montez with the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic says ICE still regularly works with local law enforcement and still has the ability to arrest the people their targeting. “ICE has access to various databases and has information about individual’s criminal histories, their whereabouts and even when they are about to be released from prison,” Montez says.
CBS News – 09.26.19
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT.
CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, CBS News political correspondent Ed O'Keefe, CBSN political contributor Zeke Miller, and Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson join "Red & Blue" to discuss the implications.
Miami Herald – 09.26.19
LA COUNTY COULD REIN IN SHERIFF’S BUDGET
Jessica Levinson, a professor on governance issues at Loyola Law School, said the latest clash reflects the unprecedented battle for power between the supervisors and the sheriff. Levinson said it's striking that the supervisors are intervening in Villanueva's budget so directly.
Atlanta Black Star – 09.26.19
Former Justice Department attorney Justin Levitt and professor at LMU Loyola Law School told The Associated Press he doesn’t know of any similar recent cases and that the Justice Department only prosecutes conduct that rises to the level of an actual threat of violence or something similarly serious.
CBC News – 09.25.19
TRANSCRIPT SHOWS TRUMP WANTED BIDEN INVESTIGATED
“Not to quivel, we don’t have a transcript of the call, we have a memo of the call. So we don’t have a clear read out and one of the things we need to be careful about
KCRW-FM – 09.25.19
RUDY GIULIANI WAS A KEY PLAYER IN U.S.-UKRAINE DISCUSSIONS
“It is very possible that Rudy Giuliani committed a crime. There is a couple of different buckets of crimes that he may have committed. One thing that people are actually looking at is a little thing called the Logan Act,” said Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School professor.
Spectrum News 1 – 09.25.19
WHAT THE CLINTON IMPEACHMENT CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE CURRENT MOMENT
LMU Loyola Law School Professor Stanley Goldman was featured on Spectrum News 1 So Cal discussing the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.
Big Law Business – 09.24.19
WAKE UP CALL: IMPEACHMENT FIGHT TO TEST TRUMP’S LEGAL TEAM, STRATEGY
KCRW-FM- 09.24.19
PELOSI ANNOUNCES IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST TRUMP
“It is true that when it comes to impeachment inquiry, it basically means your subpoena power goes into overdrive,” Jessica Levinson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School told KCRW.
KCRW-FM 09.23.19
EXPLAINING THE TIES BETWEEN UKRAINE AND JOE BIDEN’S SON
“We’re looking at potential issues of violations of the federal bribery statute, the federal extortion statute, federal campaign finance laws and federal corrupt practices act,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
NBC – 09.22.19
HOW TO WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Veteran political analysts Jessica Levinson is a professor at Loyola Law School and Dan Schnur teaches Political Communications at UC Berkeley and USC.
Bloomberg Law – 09.20.19
ARIANA GRANDE TESTS WHEN LOOKALIKES CAN LOOK TOO MUCH ALIKE
Some celebrities have successfully used trademark law to prohibit a company from evoking them without using an actual name or image. Courts have long held lookalikes can violate a person’s right of publicity, intellectual property law professor Jennifer Rothman of LMU Loyola Law School said.
The Guardian – 09.20.19
TRUMP V CALIFORNIA: PRESIDENT TRIES TO TURN ‘RESISTANCE’ INTO 2020 ADVANTAGE
Jessica Levinson, who teaches at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, told the New York Times in April: “It’s bloody combat. This isn’t a cold war. It’s a scorching hot war. And that’s politically expedient for both sides.”
Chicago Tribune – 09.20.19
CALIFORNIA’S DIVE BOAT, GHOST SHIP FIRES SHARE LEGAL LESSONS
"When you have this type of significant tragedy, it screams out for an investigation of possible involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide," Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson said.
Inside Sources – 09.20.19
KAMALA HARRIS’ PROSECUTORIAL RECORD DOESN’T LINE UP WITH HER CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLAN
Lara Bazelon, a law professor and the former director of the Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles, detailed a long list of Harris’ wrongful convictions and habit of withholding evidence in high-profile cases.
Sacramento Bee – 09.19.19
EMAILS BLURRED THE LINE BETWEEN POLITICS AND POLICY IN CALIFORNIA INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
Jessica Levinson, professor at Loyola Law School and government ethics expert, said elected officials should make sure that government staff aren’t handling campaign business.
“We care about taxpayer dollars taking care of taxpayer business,” she said. “It’s a wall, not a net between those two things.”
The Hill – 09.18.19
ALL BUT TWO DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SHOULD DROP OUT NOW
Trump is not just any incumbent Republican president. He is qualitatively different. He is the hurricane, writes Jessica Levinson, law professor and director or Loyola Public Service Institute at LMU Loyola Law School.
KABC 790-AM – 9.18.19
GEORGIA HOMEOWNERS’ SELF-DEFENSE LEADS TO TWO DEAD
“I think this is a really good case. Georgia has a stand-your-ground law, which is essentially an uber self-defense law. It says not only do you have the right to defend yourself, but you have no duty to retreat,” Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU Loyola Law School, told KABC.
The Outline – 09.17.19
WHAT REPARATIONS MIGHT LOOK LIKE
Eric Miller, a LMU Loyola Law School professor, said reclaiming these very prosecuted fashions has a powerful value. “Empowerment is distinctive from affirmative action or integrationist models,” he said. “The idea is not that one is integrating into a diverse group, but is claiming the right to be seen as distinctively valuable.”
KABC 790-AM – 09.17.19
TRUMP AND LEWANDOWSKI CONVERSATIONS: PROTECTED BY EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE?
“There’s no legal cases for that, but it becomes a political question of how long does this take to litigate the question,” says Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
Cal Matters – 09.17.19
IS CA ABOUT TO WEAPONIZE ELECTRIC CAR REBATES IN ITS EMISSIONS BATTLE AGAINST TRUMP?
But it’s not much different from other ways the government uses taxpayer money to, for example, offer tax breaks to companies that film in California, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
ABC-7 – 09.17.19
CARSON MOVES TO BAN GUN SALES, LIMIT GUN POSSESSION WITHIN CITY LIMITS
Even with that exception, Loyola Law Professor Jessica Levinson says it's not likely to hold up in court. "This strikes me as a resolution that is just too broad," she said. "Even if you want to use land use, you still have to contend with the fact that the Second Amendment is an individual right. The right to bear arms is something that the Supreme Court has said every individual has."
The Guardian – 09.16.19
TRUMP HEADING TO CALIFORNIA TO RAISE MONEY, BUT KEEPING DETAILS SECRET
“He’s coming here because he wants money,” said Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor. “California is the nation’s ATM. There’s a lot of wealth here. It’s smart fundraising.”
Politico – 09.15.19
CALIFORNIA LAWMAKER TRYING TO WEAKEN PRIVACY LAW IS MARRIED TO RING EXECUTIVE
"Look, if your spouse has a financial interest in a company and you are voting on or are proposing legislation that would affect that company, I think there is an enormously good argument to be made that it could be a conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act," said Jessica Levinson, an ethics and campaign-finance expert at Loyola Law School.
Pulse – 09.14.19
NEW YORK SAYS SACKLERS SHIFTED ABOUT $1 BILLION
But Adam Zimmerman, an expert in complex litigation at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, said the new details could make it harder for Sackler family members to protect their personal assets in bankruptcy proceedings.
NBC News – 09.13.19
Ellen Aprill, a professor of tax law at Loyola Law School, said, “I think the self-dealing transactions are violations of tax law and probably the state nonprofit law.”
“I do think they merit both AG and IRS investigation,” Aprill said.
Les Echos Smart – 09.13.19
LE PLAN DES GAFA FACE AUX PRESSIONS DE WASHINGTON
This article in French quotes Elizabeth Pollman, law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
"C'est une pratique qui s'est étendue aux sociétés plus petites, qui ont des moyens plus limités, note Elizabeth Pollman, professeure de droit à la Loyola Law School de Los Angeles.
Washington Post – 09.13.19
ANDREW YANG’S PLAN TO GIVE 10 FAMILIES $1,000 A MONTH DREW GIGGLES, OPRAH GIFS– AND LEGAL CONCERNS
Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said campaign funds can be used broadly for political purposes but that writing checks to voters or supporters pushes the boundaries of what constitutes a political purpose.
“If the regulations were a rubber band, this would be stretching it to its extreme,” Levinson said.
Bakersfield Online – 09.12.19
AFTER INVESTIGATING ONE OF ITS OWN, BPD REQUESTS FELONY CHARGES AGAINST ASSISTANT CHIEF DEMESTIHAS
Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School Los Angeles, agreed there's a high likelihood of a conflict of interest in the BPD's case. But what really matters, she said, is public sentiment and whether it has "full faith" in the department to investigate the matter in an unbiased manner.
Sun Journal – 09.12.19
MAINE REJECTS TENTATIVE SETTLEMENT IN PURDUE PHARMA OPIOID CRISIS LAWSUIT
“There’s an incredible incentive to make a deal before bankruptcy, because that would make the process much less expensive for the states and cities,” said Adam Zimmerman, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. If Purdue sought bankruptcy protection without a settlement, “we might see any kind of arrangement tied up in bankruptcy court for a very long time. It could be years,” he added.
Reuters – 09.09.19
FOURTEEN STATE AGS BACK OHIO’S MANDAMUS BID TO HALT OPIOID BELLWETHER TRIAL
Law professor Adam Zimmerman of Loyola Law School has been monitoring tension between AGs and MDL plaintiffs in the opioid litigation. He told me that although some state AGs may be correct about their authority to litigate claims affecting residents across their states, the Ohio petition and the new amicus brief fail to address so-called home rule provisions that give cities independent authority to make and enforce law.
Mercury News – 09.11.19
KAMALA HARRIS PROSECUTED A MENTALLY ILL WOMEN SHOT BY SF POLICE. THE JURY DIDN’T BUY IT.
“Somebody used very poor judgement in deciding to bring these charges,” said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. “If (Harris) actually looked at it and said, ‘This is a righteous case, I want to go after a mentally ill woman who was shot,’ then you question that decision. If she didn’t know about it, then you question her management skills.”
The Eagle – 09.10.19
HOW A DECADE OF VOTING RIGHTS FIGHTS LED TO FEWER REDISTRICTING SAFEGUARDS FOR TEXAS VOTERS OF COLOR
“Texas for the past 20 years has shown that it has an interest in limiting and restricting the voting rights of its Latino citizens in particular, although not exclusively, as much as it possibly can,” said Justin Levitt, a voting rights expert at Loyola Law School who worked at the Department of Justice for a brief period while it fought Texas in the case. “It’s not hard to tell a story that Texas is going to try again in another two years.”
KCRW-FM – 09.09.19
THIS WEEK, HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE COULD VOTE ON FIRST FORMAL STEP TO IMPEACHMENT
If there’s one word that indicated to people technical or incremental changes, it tends to be the word procedure. And that’s what we are talking about here. We are talking about new investigative procedures that the House Judiciary Committee can use in their impeachment quest, journey investigation,” says Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
Yahoo Finance – 09.09.19
LMU DEBUTS AT NO.64 ON U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT’S LIST OF BEST NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES
Earlier this year, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education recognized LMU's commitment to high-level research and its growth in doctoral degrees by designating it a high-research doctoral university. LMU offers doctorate degrees in educational leadership for social justice and juridical science at LMU's Loyola Law School.
Politico – 09.09.19
‘SOMEONE’S GOTTA TELL THE FREAKIN’ TRUTH’: JERRY FALWELL’S AIDES BREAK THEIR SILENCE
Though the IRS might consider Falwell’s stated partisan motivation if the IRS investigated Liberty to challenge its 501(c)(3) status, this type of investigation is highly unlikely.” In fact, according to Ellen April, a professor of tax law at Loyola Law School, a very small number of 990 Forms are ever investigated. “The IRS is able to do very little enforcement of the rules applicable to 501(c)(3) because of their limited" resources.
CNN – 09.09.19
PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLED OFF PEACE TALKS
Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School, told CNN, “I think the president was thinking that he is a master dealmaker and that he could make the deal with the Taliban. I also think he thought he could announce that we are going to draw down troops. You know, he is famous for that. He thinks it is absurd, and that there is no reason all those U.S. troops are there.”
The Hill – 09.07.19
CPFB HEAD MISGUIDED IN RELIANCE ON CONSUMER EDUCATION.
President Donald Trump’s head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Kathy Kraninger, has laid out her vision for her five-year directorship. So far, Kraninger seems to think about consumer financial protection the same way our apocryphal city authorities think about water treatment wrote Lauren Willis, professor of law and William M. Rains Fellow at LMU Loyola Law School.
Associated Press – 09.06.19
VIGIL HELD FOR 34 KILLED IN CALIFORNIA BOAT DIVE
Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor who is a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said it’s too early to discuss charges.
“There are lots questions to answer, including what even constitutes negligence. In other words, do you have to have somebody on watch, enough fire extinguishers or ways to, you know, get out?” Levenson said.
Law 360 – 09.06.19
CALIFORNIA POWERHOUSE: HUESTON HENNIGAN
To illustrate his point, Hennigan highlighted the involvement of himself and other partners in professional groups, including various bar associations and legal aid organizations like Loyola Law School’s Project for the Innocent and Los Angeles’ Inner City Law Center.
The New York Times – 09.06.19
MAJOR DRUG MAKER IS CLOSE TO SETTLING CASE TO AVERT FIRST FEDERAL TRIAL IN OPIOID CRISIS
“It means that all of this information in the federal litigation, which is so vital to our understanding about what happened how we got here, will remain open,” said Adam Zimmerman, who teaches complex litigation at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.
Bloomberg – 09.05.19
DURST SAYS ‘JINX’ FILMMAKERS COLLABORATED WITH POLICE
Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School, describes real estate heir Robert Durst’s attempt to hamstring prosecutors with claims that the murder case against him is tainted by corrupt ties between police and the creators of the 2015 HBO documentary that triggered his arrest.
KNX-AM – 09.05.19
FINAL VERDICT AGAINST DERICK ALMENA CONTINUES
Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson says it was always going to be tough to get convictions against Harris and master tenant Derick Almena. “I think a lot people thought once the jurors were substituted out, you could have seen some convictions. But it didn’t happen, and the long deliberations seemed to suggest it was hard for the jurors to find these people guilty,” said Levenson.
Politico – 09.05.19
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER CHARGING RENT FOR SECOND RESIDENCE TO TAX PAYERS
“For some jobs, you have to move — as millions of Californians will tell you,'' said Jessica Levinson, a professor of law and ethics at Loyola [Law School] in Los Angeles. "The rent is high, and a good percentage of their salary goes to it. They don’t get the taxpayers to pay for it. And frankly, neither should the insurance commissioner.”
Law 360 – 09.05.19
4 KEY TAKEAWAYS AS OHIO AG FIRES TORPEDO AT OPIOID MDL
However, the petition doesn’t describe what state law has to say about who can litigate what types of claims, such as public nuisance and federal racketeering claims, Professor Adam Zimmerman of Loyola Law School said.
USA Today – 09.05.19
NATION’S FAILED WEED WAR TURNED BLACKS INTO PRISONERS AND WHITES INTO MOGULS
In lower-level cases, white defendants are more likely to have the harshest charges reduced, according to Carlos Berdejó, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who studied thousands of criminal cases and published his findings in "Criminalizing Race: Racial Disparities in Plea Bargaining."
Association of America Law Schools News – 09.04.19
SECTION ON PRO BONO AND PUBLIC SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Our section is made up of people who hold lots of different kinds of positions at their law schools. Unlike many subject-matter sections, ours has tenured faculty, contract faculty, people who work in career development, people in the dean’s suite, etc. That variety of viewpoints gives us a lot of great information about how to make pro bono work effectively across a school writes Sande Buhai, professor at Loyola Law School.
Above the Law – 09.04.19
THE TOP LAW SCHOOLS FOR MUSIC LAW (2019)
LMU Loyola Law School was one of 15 law school’s featured on Billboards 2019 Top Music Law Schools list.
Reuters – 09.04.19
AS OHIO AG TRIES TO SHUT DOWN OPIOID BELLWETHER TRIAL, MDL LEADERS SAY HE’S ‘OUTLIER’
I asked law professor Adam Zimmerman of Loyola Law School, who has written about competition between state AGs and private MDL plaintiffs, about the Ohio AG’s chances at the 6th Circuit. Zimmerman said in an email that he doubts the petition will be granted.
KCRW-FM – 09.03.19
IS IT LEGAL FOR VP MIKE PENCE TO STAY AT TRUMP'S HOTEL IN IRELAND?
“So we don’t have a Supreme Court case or any other case telling us exactly when either of these emoluments clauses are violated. We don’t know who has enough standing to bring these emolument clause cases,” says Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
San Gabriel Valley Tribune – 09.03.19
“This is what happens in politics in every locality,” Jessica Levinson, director of the Loyola Public Service Institute at Loyola Law School. Levinson specializes in campaign finance cases.
The New York Times – 09.03.19
ARIANA GRANDE SUES FOREVER 21 OVER ‘LOOK-ALIKE’ MODEL IN ADS
“It seems like there was a targeted effort by Forever 21 to use Ariana Grande’s identity in a way that might be likely to confuse consumers,” said Jennifer E. Rothman, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who is not involved in the case.
NBC News – 09.03.19
WHAT GOP REP. DEVIN NUNES' TWITTER DEFAMATION LAWSUIT SAYS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF DEFAMATION LAW
Rep. Devin Nunes', R-Calif., $250 million lawsuit is more than a tad petty, writes LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson in her latest NBC News Think op-ed.
Bloomberg – 09.01.19
DURST AIMS TO TAKE ON ‘JINX’ FILMMAKERS AS POLICE ‘BEDFELLOWS’
Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said Durst faces an “uphill battle” in his effort to strip the filmmakers of their reporter’s privilege because of the “general deference” to First Amendment rights in court.
Alumni News
Law 360 – 09.04.19
CLARK HILL SCOOPS UP LAS VEGAS BOUTIQUE GENTILE CRISTALLI
Dominic Gentile, Michael Cristalli, Ross Miller and Paola Armeni will work as members of Clark Hill while Vincent Savarese and Mark Dzarnoski will work as senior counsel, remaining in Las Vegas to serve as Clark Hill’s six-attorney office in the Nevada city, according to the announcement. Miller received his from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.
Massachusetts General Hospital – 09.04.19
The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Board of Trustees has announced three new leadership appointments, effective Oct. 1. Jonathan Kraft has been named chair of the 18-member board. Carl Martignetti and Diane Patrick will serve as vice chairs. Patrick, senior counsel at Ropes & Gray, LLP, has been an MGH trustee since 2016 and serves on the Partners Board of Directors. She is a graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York and Loyola Law School, she is the former first lady of Massachusetts.